Marist University Participates in Town of Poughkeepsie Community Day Event

Marist University mascot Frankie the Fox looking at Marist's tables at theTown of Poughkeepsie Community Day Event. Photo by Eric Johnston '26

On May 3, representatives from Marist University tabled at the Town of Poughkeepsie Community Day, an event held from 1 to 5 p.m. at Greenvale Park on New Hackensack Road. 

The event gave Poughkeepsie residents an opportunity to connect with both each other and local businesses and institutions, including multiple departments within Marist. 

“[Being at this event] gets us closer to the local community,” said Communications Coordinator for Marist’s Office of Community and Belonging Lexi Rossi ‘24. “Marist is not only there to help the Marist community, but also the outside community.” 

“The biggest word here is connection,” added Rossi. “[Showing up to this event] is practicing what we preach.” 

“It’s important to give back to the community we’re a part of,” said Director of Human Resources John Evola.

“Especially because we [make] things available to them, like camps and clinics,” added Human Resources Coordinator Alyssa Holowiak. 

Jordan Gabriel ‘29, a center for Marist’s Men’s Basketball team, preached a simple message of “love to the community.”

“Marist doesn’t exist in isolation,” said Victor Rivera, Jr. ‘27. “[Given] our footprint in the town and city, it should really be reciprocal.”

Rivera commented on the importance of “showing [reciprocity] through action.” “We can talk the talk, but we really gotta walk the walk.”

“[Marist’s representation at the event was] exciting because it provided us with a great opportunity to be out there and be present in the community,” said Dr. Edward P. Antonio, Vice President of the Office of Community and Belonging. ‘It was a way of kind of bringing ourselves into the community. 

“It was deeply satisfying for me, because one of the things I’ve been trying to do since I got to Marist 3-and-a-half years ago is to build bridges with the local community – to get to know the community better and to create a better understanding between the community and Marist,” added Dr. Antonio.

Marist’s involvement in this event marks a significant step into the community for the university and signifies a bright future for further local participation.

“As far as this office is concerned, this is the first time we’ve been a part of the activities,” said Dr. Antonio. “Talking to the supervisor of the Town of Poughkeepsie [Rebecca Edwards], they’re interested in further collaboration as we move forward. So I expect beyond this year that we’ll be able to do something similar or collaborate on other activities.” 

The Office of Community and Belonging’s table included a Story Wall, where “members of the Poughkeepsie community could reflect on and share what they value about where they live,” according to a press release from the office. Post-it notes and photographs were utilized to communicate these ideas.

“I’m interested in narratives and storytelling, and I thought that would be a good way of capturing people’s perceptions between the town and the University,” said Dr. Antonio. “We wanted ideas from everyone – parents, the police, people from the fire department, kids, etc.”

Dr. Antonio emphasized that Poughkeepsie is home to not only Marist itself, but also so many members of the Marist community, and highlighted Marist as a keystone of the local area.

“We have faculty, staff, and students who live in Poughkeepsie. This is our home,” said Dr. Antonio. “We’re not in a bubble, we’re here, we belong to this place, and we’re proud to be a part of this community.’”

“What you saw at Greenvale Park is Marist’s sense of expansive community playing out,” added Dr. Antonio. “It matters that we assert our sense of belonging.”

“We need to show the many ways in which [belonging] happens, including being a part of the local community,” said Dr. Antonio.

The event was also simply a fun time for all involved. 

“I enjoy these kinds of things,” said Dr. Antonio. “I came away with some ideas of how we can make things better. It was good to see Frankie and the kids there,” referencing Marist mascot Frankie the Fox’s attendance at the event. 

“One of the things about Poughkeepsie is the natural beauty of the place. For me, just being out and about in that kind of environment is deeply satisfying,” added Dr. Antonio.

Marist’s presence was incredibly well-felt at the event.

“Marist showed up strongly,” said Dr. Antonio. “Talking to the police and people from the fire department, it was clear that our presence was the most effective and the most organized.”